On the back of the BluBridge, you'll find a battery compartment for four AA batteries, a line input jack for connecting non-Bluetooth audio devices (MP3 or CD players), and a DC power input for the included power adapter. A cloth pouch is also included with the speaker, along with a 2-foot line input cable.
As far as Bluetooth is concerned, the BluBridge mobile speaker is compatible with most configurations, including mono headset profiles (for use as a speakerphone) and A2DP stereo audio. It even offers AVRCP control that allows compatible audio sources to respond to the play/pause, skip, and reverse buttons located on the front of the speaker. We tested the Bluetooth capabilities of the BluBridge speaker with an Apple MacBook, an LG Dare, and the Miccus BluBridge iPod adapter. In every scenario, pairing the speaker with the device was relatively quick and easy.
Unfortunately, while the speaker's setup was painless, its sound quality was not. The BluBridge's high frequencies are brittle; lows are nonexistent; and the overall sound is a tad overdriven. Speakerphone quality was a mixed bag, with incoming calls sounding crisp and distinct, but outgoing microphone quality suffering from some grittiness.
We have to cut the manufacturer some slack for creating such a small speaker, and keeping the price under $100. If you can spare an extra $50, a slightly larger speaker like the Logitech Pure-Fi Mobile puts the BluBridge's sound to shame. If you can forgo speakerphone capability, Yamaha's NX-B02 offers remarkable sound for its size, and currently carries a street price of $129. That said, neither the Logitech nor Yamaha systems are quite as compact or inexpensive as the BluBridge, nor do they include AVRCP playback controls. Value is in the eye of the beholder, but if music quality is your primary concern, the BluBridge mobile speaker would not be our first choice for you.
What You'll Pay
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